It has long been known that a beveled tip on a peripherally inserted catheter is an advantage as it eases the insertion of the catheter into the body of a patient. Intravenous catheters are used for infusing blood, plasma, drugs or other fluids into a patient's body as well as withdrawing blood or permitting the introduction of other objects such as smaller catheters through an opening in the skin. Catheters, when manufactured as original blanks, are cut from tubing stock or extruded in place. The tubing stock or extruded catheter tubing often has a blunt, abruptended tip which would cause trauma upon insertion. Therefore, many peripherally inserted catheters are beveled starting at a distance from the distal tip, a 3.degree. taper, for example, may be used, and a terminus 27.degree. taper over a very short portion of the varied tip is used to ease the initial insertion as a needle passes into the patient carrying the catheter tube.
Many methods for tapering a catheter tip are known in the art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,300, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Flashless Tipping of an IV Catheter" shows a mold method wherein an end of the catheter is clipped off during the molding process. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,397,512, 5,425,903, and 5,484,422 show a laser method of forming a beveled tip to a catheter wherein the 3.degree. taper is initially formed on a catheter and the later 27.degree. taper is formed via a laser contacting the catheter tube and ablating the surface in order to form the necessary taper.